Traveling across the country in a small van

The hunter approached his stand quietly, walking through the early morning light. It was a clear, crisp morning in late November. The stars still bright in the sky. He reached the stand he had chosen many weeks before, near the base of a huge oak tree. The site gave him a good view of the deer trail where he had observed several bucks earlier in the month.

The hunter quietly cleared a small circle of leaves and twigs to prepare a quiet place to stand. It was nearly full light. As the night shadows faded, the “ghost” deer became stumps and low bushes. The deer hunter remained still. Only his eyes moved, scanning both sides of the trail. Then a white branch appeared to move.

It wasn’t a branch but the tine of a six-point buck. The buck appeared along the trail walking very slowly, his nose only 10 inches off the ground. The buck has been on the trail of the doe since early dawn, his head is low, picking up a doe’s scent. When the deer came into a small opening, the hunter fired.

• His six-point rack was a beauty, the tines are long and even on both sides.
• The projectile met its mark.
• At the check station, his buck created a lot of excitement.
• One hunter admired the “horns.” Another suggested the deer must be five to six years old because of the size of the rack and the white on the face.

A Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service biologist aged the deer by replacement and wear of the teeth on the lower jaw; it was 18 months old. How did a yearling buck grow such an impressive rack? We must begin our story about eight months before the hunt when the young button buck was approximately eleven months old. As the days grew longer, in late April or early May, increased daylight triggered a gland at the base of the deer’s skull. This caused the buttons on the buck’s skull to produce a fleshy, bulb-type growth resembling fuzzy, fat thumbs. As June approached, the main beam began to sprout branches of the same material.

The buck was growing his antlers for fall. Antlers start as living tissue. They are soft, consisting of veins and arteries that carry blood to fuel growth. The tissue is very delicate. Growth continues into late August or early September. During the growing period, the antlers are described as “being in velvet.” The size and number of points, or tines, on the rack depends on several factors, such as how well the buck wintered and how much nutritious food he ate while in velvet affect growth.

Heredity also plays a part in rack development. A well-fed yearling buck can grow a six to eight point rack. During the summer, the buck deer is not often seen. He restricts his movements to prevent damage to the rack. If a buck sustains injury to the velvety tissue the rack may become deformed or bleed. Injury can cause the tines to be blunted or to develop abnormally.

As summer progresses, the level of the male hormone, testosterone, increases. The hormone slows and stops antler growth and causes the deer to shed the velvet. In late August or early September, the arteries and veins at the base of the rack constrict. This cuts off the supply of blood to the tissue allowing the velvet to dry.

Beneath the velvet is the bony material observed in the fall. The shedding of velvet begins the buck rubbing. Initially, this serves to get rid of the dead tissue and leads up to the rutting season, in late October to November. In early fall, the bucks become more visible. Rack color varies from white to brownish. A white rack can result from the blood enriched velvet drying rapidly and not causing a stain from frequent rubbing. A brown stain may result when the velvet dries slowly and the rubbing causes a stain.

Many claim the brown stain occurs when deer rub certain types of trees and shrubs. Possibly, the coloration is affected by heredity. During the breeding season or “rut,” the reason the buck grew the rack becomes apparent. Deer are heedless of danger during the rut. Their necks begin to swell. When two bucks meet there is at least a sparring if not an all out clashing of antlers.

Sometimes bucks lock their antlers and die of stress and starvation if they do not get unlocked. Most of the time a sparring match, consisting of eye or body movements, determines the dominant male. Strength plays an important part in who becomes “king of the woods.” Many times a strong six-pointer will be more than a match for a smaller eight or ten-pointer. In Maryland, 15-20 percent of bucks survive the first year. These shed their antlers after the breeding season. Antlers are shed from early December through March. When deer drop their antlers depends on the amount of stress on the buck after the rut, heredity and nutrition.

• Shed antlers are called “drops.” Looking for them can be a good way to spend late winter days in the field.
• Usually only one side of the rack can be located at a time, because both sides of the antlers do not drop simultaneously.
• They are difficult to find after late winter because small mammals, mice and squirrels, eat the antlers for the calcium in them.

A yearling buck can support a six to eight point rack by fall. This dispels the misconception that the age can be determined by the number of points. Age is determined by the replacement and wear of the teeth. Another misconception is that antlers are horns.

• Horns are not shed annually.
• They continue to grow through the year.
• Cattle and goats have horns.
• The deer family’s bony structures are antlers because they are shed annually.
• Deer do not always grow the same size rack each year.
• Growth depends on nutrition and heredity.
• Antlers can also be found on female deer.

Normally the doe has spikes that remain in velvet. The spiked doe remains fertile and can produce young. This occurs in one to every 20 thousand deer. In the Maryland deer kill, only two or three antlered doe are reported each year. The white-tailed deer is a very interesting and important game animal in Maryland.

• Nowledge of the deer herds’ well-being is necessary for future management.
• The condition of the antlers in the fall is a prime indicator of a deer herd’s health.
• This is one reason why wildlife personnel staffing deer check stations measure antler diameter.
• Antler development is not only of interest to the deer biologist but also to the sportsman and citizens of Maryland who enjoy hunting or observing one of Maryland’s largest mammals.

Contributed by Edward Golden, a retired habitat biologist for the Western Region of the Wildlife and Heritage Service of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Golden earned a B.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of Wyoming and has over 32 years of experience in wildlife resource work.

When should I look for deer antler sheds?

When to Shed Hunt “GENERALLY” – When discussing how to time your shed hunt in the general sense, you need to know why sheds are hitting the ground when they are. The why and when are simple, the timing is based on photoperiod. Just like velvet development, the rut, fawn drop, and most things in a deer’s life, photoperiod tells a buck when they should drop their antlers.

For most of us, that means the time to shed hunt is early February to March. However, outliers are always presentbucks that either drop very early or late even pushing into early April. Besides photoperiod, social stress, injuries, severe winters, or poor nutrition can and will affect the time of actual antler drop for a buck.

The video below covers this and other factors you should consider when figuring out the dates you should start shed hunting your properties. While the general information behind the shed process is good to know, it still doesn’t answer the question of when you specifically should start.

The next section and video dives into the details beyond the general sense of shed hunting, and whether or not you should play it safe. The biggest consideration to make revolves around the attributes of your property. Do you have a big destination food source the deer are currently hitting? Is your property mainly cover, or the only “good” deer habitat in a landscape dominated by Ag fields? Is your property small with known buck bedding areas? Each property is different, the best thing you can do is think logically through the benefits and cost associated with shed hunting early or late.

Review the following situations and take a look at the shed hunting recommendation for that situation.

What month is best for shed hunting?

When Do Deer Shed Their Antlers? – Traditionally, shed hunting season starts in February and wraps up around the end of March. Certainly, sheds can be found throughout the year and usually can be picked up during spring gobbler season if the rodents have not consumed them all yet. Bucks that shed their antlers earlier than February are typically more mature, dominant bucks. These bucks are apt to shed early because their dominance gets them more involved in the rut earlier and for a longer period of time than younger, less mature bucks.

1. Due to this, they can be left depleted after the rut and stressed to a point where antler loss happens earlier than other bucks in a region.
2. Conversely, late antler drop can be influenced by several different causes.
3. First, unbalanced deer populations can create an atmosphere where some does do not get bred during the peak of the rut.

In these highly skewed deer populations, does are being bred during the second rut and beyond. Bucks hold their testosterone levels up in these areas, which leads to them delaying the shedding of their antlers until late March or April. Second, first-year fawns that reach breeding weight their first winter will come into estrous.

What month do bucks shed antlers?

They cast their antlers, which can weigh 40 pounds apiece, between late November and late December. Mule and white-tailed deer start dropping their antlers in mid-December, but some don’t shed until early April.

Where is the most common place to find deer sheds?

Bone Collector Definition | Top 3 Places to Find Deer Sheds If you haven’t laid your hands on his antlers yet this season now is the time! The deer will not be attached, but the reward of finding his prized jewels can give you some closure for the year.

At most you will know he is alive and hopefully bigger next year. One thing is for certain, there isn’t too much else to do during this lag time for the die-hard whitetail enthusiast, so why not jump back into the woods and look for some deer sheds. Shed hunting can be extremely satisfying or can be awfully difficult.

Some hunters get a slap in the face for a second time, without finding a single shed! Most of the time those hunters aren’t looking in the right places. You have to treat shed hunting like you would deer hunting, there’s not really a difference except the habits of the deer during late winter.

For that reason you have to know when to look, and even more importantly where to look. Right around now, late January- March, deer begin dropping antlers. The majority of a whitetails day during the winter months is trying to soak up all the warmth it can get. We praise the sunrays on those cold late season sits, deer are the same.

This is why bedding/cover especially of southern orientation are number one on the list for shed hunting. It’s almost as if deer switch from mammals to reptiles and bask like a snake, warming up until they are finally ready to make feeding excursions.

Where they go is next on the list. Beans, corn, brassicas, and browse are all winter food sources. Trails leading to and coming from a standing bean field are a shed hotspot, in the food itself is also worth checking out. If the crops are cut learn, scout, and hypothesize what food sources are available and test your theories.

If both of these areas are fruitless, check obstacles in funnels where deer are forced to jump or duck. Creeks, fences, ditches, roads, and thick overhanging branches are all great places to find sheds hanging around. Often that little jolt or bump is all they need to drop.

Here are some last minute tips, when you begin to find sheds start your circles, working your way out further and further because you often find numerous sheds in one area. If you have multiple properties start with the least pressured spots as they often become deer havens once the shooting stops. Get out early, you don’t want to find a half chewed antler or even worse the tracks and imprint of a shed recently picked up by a trespasser in your favorite spot.

Finally, get out period, too many let laziness and the cold winds keep them indoors. Sheds are white gold, prized jewels of the buck you’ve been chasing all season. Don’t let him slip away again. Start in the best spots, likely places where you will find you very own goldmine, and get rich in bone! : Bone Collector Definition | Top 3 Places to Find Deer Sheds

Why can’t I find deer sheds?

Wrong time – The biggest mistake made by far is shed hunting at the wrong time. If you are not finding antlers chances are you are too late or too early. Eager hunters bust deer off the property before they drop their antlers and get discouraged early, keeping them out of the woods later, when the sheds are actually there to be found.

1. Waiting to late is even worse.
2. Trespassers or squirrels have beat you to the sheds.
3. As much as you hate to hear it, trespassers can and will take advantage of the off season.
4. Thinking you are most likely not on the property in the cold weather means a buffetand it’s not just sheds.
5. Trail cameras, stands, and sheds are all in danger.

Waiting to late might also spell some damage on the sheds, as squirrels with gnaw on them within hours of the shed dropping. There is a lot to be considered and learned when it comes to when bucks drop their antlers. If your eager to learn the best time for shed hunting dive into our article on when whitetails shed antlers,

When can you start shed hunting in Maryland?

The hunter approached his stand quietly, walking through the early morning light. It was a clear, crisp morning in late November. The stars still bright in the sky. He reached the stand he had chosen many weeks before, near the base of a huge oak tree. The site gave him a good view of the deer trail where he had observed several bucks earlier in the month.

1. The hunter quietly cleared a small circle of leaves and twigs to prepare a quiet place to stand.
2. It was nearly full light.
3. As the night shadows faded, the “ghost” deer became stumps and low bushes.
4. The deer hunter remained still.
5. Only his eyes moved, scanning both sides of the trail.
6. Then a white branch appeared to move.

It wasn’t a branch but the tine of a six-point buck. The buck appeared along the trail walking very slowly, his nose only 10 inches off the ground. The buck has been on the trail of the doe since early dawn, his head is low, picking up a doe’s scent. When the deer came into a small opening, the hunter fired.

1. His six-point rack was a beauty, the tines are long and even on both sides.
2. The projectile met its mark.
3. At the check station, his buck created a lot of excitement.
4. One hunter admired the “horns.” Another suggested the deer must be five to six years old because of the size of the rack and the white on the face.

A Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service biologist aged the deer by replacement and wear of the teeth on the lower jaw; it was 18 months old. How did a yearling buck grow such an impressive rack? We must begin our story about eight months before the hunt when the young button buck was approximately eleven months old. As the days grew longer, in late April or early May, increased daylight triggered a gland at the base of the deer’s skull. This caused the buttons on the buck’s skull to produce a fleshy, bulb-type growth resembling fuzzy, fat thumbs. As June approached, the main beam began to sprout branches of the same material.

1. The buck was growing his antlers for fall.
2. Antlers start as living tissue.
3. They are soft, consisting of veins and arteries that carry blood to fuel growth.
4. The tissue is very delicate.
5. Growth continues into late August or early September.
6. During the growing period, the antlers are described as “being in velvet.” The size and number of points, or tines, on the rack depends on several factors, such as how well the buck wintered and how much nutritious food he ate while in velvet affect growth.

Heredity also plays a part in rack development. A well-fed yearling buck can grow a six to eight point rack. During the summer, the buck deer is not often seen. He restricts his movements to prevent damage to the rack. If a buck sustains injury to the velvety tissue the rack may become deformed or bleed. Injury can cause the tines to be blunted or to develop abnormally.

As summer progresses, the level of the male hormone, testosterone, increases. The hormone slows and stops antler growth and causes the deer to shed the velvet. In late August or early September, the arteries and veins at the base of the rack constrict. This cuts off the supply of blood to the tissue allowing the velvet to dry.

Beneath the velvet is the bony material observed in the fall. The shedding of velvet begins the buck rubbing. Initially, this serves to get rid of the dead tissue and leads up to the rutting season, in late October to November. In early fall, the bucks become more visible. Rack color varies from white to brownish. A white rack can result from the blood enriched velvet drying rapidly and not causing a stain from frequent rubbing. A brown stain may result when the velvet dries slowly and the rubbing causes a stain.

Many claim the brown stain occurs when deer rub certain types of trees and shrubs. Possibly, the coloration is affected by heredity. During the breeding season or “rut,” the reason the buck grew the rack becomes apparent. Deer are heedless of danger during the rut. Their necks begin to swell. When two bucks meet there is at least a sparring if not an all out clashing of antlers.

Sometimes bucks lock their antlers and die of stress and starvation if they do not get unlocked. Most of the time a sparring match, consisting of eye or body movements, determines the dominant male. Strength plays an important part in who becomes “king of the woods.” Many times a strong six-pointer will be more than a match for a smaller eight or ten-pointer. In Maryland, 15-20 percent of bucks survive the first year. These shed their antlers after the breeding season. Antlers are shed from early December through March. When deer drop their antlers depends on the amount of stress on the buck after the rut, heredity and nutrition.

Shed antlers are called “drops.” Looking for them can be a good way to spend late winter days in the field. Usually only one side of the rack can be located at a time, because both sides of the antlers do not drop simultaneously. They are difficult to find after late winter because small mammals, mice and squirrels, eat the antlers for the calcium in them.

A yearling buck can support a six to eight point rack by fall. This dispels the misconception that the age can be determined by the number of points. Age is determined by the replacement and wear of the teeth. Another misconception is that antlers are horns.

• Horns are not shed annually.
• They continue to grow through the year.
• Cattle and goats have horns.
• The deer family’s bony structures are antlers because they are shed annually.
• Deer do not always grow the same size rack each year.
• Growth depends on nutrition and heredity.
• Antlers can also be found on female deer.

Normally the doe has spikes that remain in velvet. The spiked doe remains fertile and can produce young. This occurs in one to every 20 thousand deer. In the Maryland deer kill, only two or three antlered doe are reported each year. The white-tailed deer is a very interesting and important game animal in Maryland.

Nowledge of the deer herds’ well-being is necessary for future management. The condition of the antlers in the fall is a prime indicator of a deer herd’s health. This is one reason why wildlife personnel staffing deer check stations measure antler diameter. Antler development is not only of interest to the deer biologist but also to the sportsman and citizens of Maryland who enjoy hunting or observing one of Maryland’s largest mammals.

Contributed by Edward Golden, a retired habitat biologist for the Western Region of the Wildlife and Heritage Service of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Golden earned a B.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of Wyoming and has over 32 years of experience in wildlife resource work.

Can I hunt deer in my backyard in Maryland?

Hunting on Private Property Written permission is required from the property owner to hunt or trap on private property in all counties.

Can you bait deer on private property in Maryland?

General Deer Hunting Rules –

A hunter must carry personal photo identification (such as a driver’s license) or a secondary form of positive identification while hunting. Written permission is required to hunt on private land. A hunting license is required to hunt deer (with exceptions). See Hunting Licenses, Stamps and Permits ( Hunting Licenses ) for Armed Forces information and hunting license costs, exceptions, purchasing, requirements and types. An Archery Stamp is required for Archery Deer Season and when using bows during the Primitive Deer Hunt Days. A Muzzleloader Stamp is required for Muzzleloader Deer Season and when using a muzzleloader during the Primitive Deer Hunt Days ( Deer Seasons & Bag Limits ). There are tagging and checking requirements for all deer harvested. See Deer and Turkey Tagging and Checking for instructions ( Deer & Turkey Tagging & Checking ). There are daylight fluorescent color clothing requirements to hunt deer, See Fluorescent Color Clothing Requirements and Exceptions ( Hunting Regulations ). Archery equipment may be used to hunt deer during all of the deer hunting seasons. This includes the Junior Deer Hunt Days. Hunters may only use long bows or recurve bows during the Primitive Deer Hunt Days. Muzzleloading firearms may only be used to hunt deer during the Muzzleloader Season, Firearms Season, Junior Deer Hunt Days and Primitive Deer Hunt Days. Hunters may only use flintlock or sidelock percussion muzzleloaders during the Primitive Deer Hunt Days. Muzzleloading revolvers are prohibited during the Primitive Deer Hunt Days. Shotguns or rifles and handguns that fire straight-walled cartridges may be used to hunt deer in all counties during the Firearms Season and Junior Deer Hunt Days. Rifles and handguns that shoot bottleneck cartridges may only be used to hunt deer during the Firearms Season and Junior Deer Hunt Days in certain counties and areas (see map and description, Hunting Regulations ). Air guns that shoot bullets, arrows or bolts may be used to hunt deer in all counties during the Firearms Season and Junior Deer Hunt Days only, Deer harvested must count toward the bag limit of the season in which they are taken, please note :

Deer harvested with archery equipment during the antlerless-only second split of the early Muzzleloader Season in Region B must count toward the Archery Season bag limit.

Hunters may not carry archery equipment and muzzleloaders at the same time when Archery Season and Muzzleloader Season are in concurrently. This includes the Primitive Deer Hunt Days. Telescopic and electronic aiming devices may be used on all devices legal for hunting deer during the Archery, Muzzleloader and Firearms Seasons and Junior Deer Hunt Days. Telescopic and electronic aiming devices may not be used during the Primitive Deer Hunt Days. The antlered white-tailed deer bag limit is statewide, It applies to both Region A and Region B together. Antlerless white-tailed deer bag limits are separate and independent for Region A and Region B. Sika deer bag limits are independent of the white-tailed deer bag limits. Only one antlered white-tailed deer may be taken per day within the season bag limits. There is no restriction on the number of antlerless deer that may be taken per day within the season bag limits. Antlered and antlerless deer may be harvested the same day within their prescribed bag limits. Daily deer shooting hours are one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset with the exception of certain Sundays in certain counties (see Sunday hunting chart, Sunday Deer Hunting ). Recorded or electrically amplified calls or sounds are prohibited for the purpose of deer hunting. Non-electronic deer calls are permitted for deer hunting. Dogs cannot be used to hunt deer except trained tracking dogs may be used to find dead, wounded or injured deer. The dog handler must maintain physical control of the tracking dog at all times and only the hunter and dog handler may carry a hunting device while tracking the deer. Prior to tracking the deer, the hunter must notify the Natural Resources Police by telephone at 800-628-9944. The hunter may dispatch the deer only during legal shooting hours and by means legal for the current hunting season. Deer may not be hunted while they are swimming or taking refuge in water, Fallow deer (where they are found) may be taken in place of white-tailed deer during each of the deer hunting seasons. Fallow deer have escaped from captivity and are found in a few isolated areas in Maryland. It is legal to bait deer except on state-owned or state-controlled properties. A person that intentionally wounds or kills a deer must make a reasonable attempt to retrieve and make use of the deer. This includes hunters and persons shooting under the authority of a Deer Management Permit (crop damage permit). A person must have written permission when entering lands owned by another person or organization for the purpose of retrieving a deer. Some publicly owned properties also require permission before a person may access them. It is unlawful to cast the rays of an artificial light from a vehicle on buildings or dwellings, fields, livestock, orchards, wild mammals and birds or woods. See General Hunting Regulations for exceptions ( Hunting Regulations ).

Should you hunt where you find sheds?

Shed Hunting 101 – Bucks that are 1½ years old have antlers that are about 25 percent as big as they’ll be in his prime. At 2½ the buck displays 58 percent of his possible size; at 3½ the number is 75 percent and at 4½ it’s 90 percent. Many hunters might have cut their teeth on smaller bucks but now seek only the big boys.

Getting out and finding sheds is your first clue that a big buck is in the vicinity and has survived hunting season. Where to look? After the excitement and tumult of the rut, bucks and does are seeking food, shelter and water. They also want to find places where those things they need are in easy proximity, so they don’t have to expend valuable calories obtaining them.

If you live in a snowy region, it’s relatively easy to find heavily used deer trails. They line up like elephants, walking single file along the same trails. In areas with bare ground, target any food source such as winter forage food plots, grassy fields such as CRP areas and power lines.

In the northern states, deer frequent areas where they can find open water. If it’s legal in your area, set up feeding areas with game cameras. That way you’ll have a look at the antlers bucks are carrying, and also know exactly when the shedding begins. If you can’t feed deer, instead move the cameras to any heavily traveled trails you can find.

In colder months, deer will also seek areas that the sun can reach, such as southern-facing slopes with a tree canopy open enough for rays to reach the ground. Add a few evergreen trees or brush that blocks the wind, and that’s an area that will hold deer during the winter months.

How much are deer sheds worth?

What is the average price for a 350″ set, 360″ set, 380″ set? What is the average price that they can be sold for? – On average, a 350″ set is worth about $400 and for every 10″ above that add about $50. A 380″ set and larger will be worth between $550 to $1,000.

How long do deer sheds last in the woods?

Have you ever been walking through the woods and found the antler of a deer? It’s like finding hidden treasure. But, how did it get there? Every year, whitetail deer, mule deer, elk and various other hoofed mammals shed their antlers. During the rut, bucks will fight using their antlers, in an effort to establish dominance and the right to breed the does. The dropping of the antlers may take place within 24 to 48 hours, but the entire shedding process may take as long as two to three weeks before the antlers actually fall off.

What happens if a buck doesn’t shed its antlers?

Why Don’t Some Deer Shed Their Antlers? Deer that don’t shed their antlers are commonly called “stags”. This is usually the result of some kind of injury (or maybe deformity) of the testicles. Weird looking antlers can also result from injury to the antlers while in velvet.

(Photo by Carrie Wilson) Question: I recently heard about a few Southern California bucks that seem to carry their antlers year round. One person I heard from insisted they were mountain biking and repeatedly saw the same deer in January and in May with a 4×3 rack. While I disagreed with the person telling me this, I admitted I am no biologist and didn’t know what they were seeing.

Do some deer out here not shed their antlers? I was under the impression that even though nutrition, water and climate might affect when they shed, that deer always shed their antlers. Can you share some info or point us in the right direction to learn more about the antler shedding process here in SoCal? (Al Q.) Answer: Deer that don’t shed their antlers are commonly called “stags”.

This is usually the result of some kind of injury (or maybe deformity) of the testicles. Testosterone plays a role in both antler development and shedding, so injuries can really affect the types of antlers they have. Weird looking antlers can also result from injury to the antlers while in velvet but those kind usually fall off normally and are replaced the next year with “normal” antlers.

So, this proves there are indeed exceptions to every rule — even biological ones! Incidental take while spear fishing? Question: What happens if a spearfishing diver spots a large fish and shoots and spears it without realizing until too late that it’s a giant (black) sea bass or another prohibited species? Then after the fish is speared and brought to the surface, the spearfisher identifies they have a fish they can’t take or possess and promptly returns it to the ocean.

Has the spearfisher violated any laws? A fisherman (angler) who catches a prohibited species while fishing for other species can argue that the take was unintentional/incidental. Could the spearfisher successfully make a similar argument? (Steve H.) Answer: Spear fishermen are responsible for identifying their targets before they pull the trigger and can be held accountable for shooting a prohibited species.

They are also responsible for ensuring that any fish they shoot meets the minimum size limit requirements for that species, again, before they pull the trigger. A short lingcod or illegal giant sea bass, for example, is unlikely to survive after being shot by a spear fisherman who has the ability to select his target carefully; a short or illegal fish is much more likely to survive being hooked and released by an angler fishing from a boat, who cannot selectively target which individual fish he wishes to catch.

If a diver is unsure about the size or identity of the fish he/she’s aiming at, he/she should choose a different target. Shooting a fish that you’re unsure of could be illegal, and we believe that many spear fishermen would consider it unethical, as well. All of these same principles also apply to hunters.

No one with a rifle, shotgun, spear gun or even bow should pull the trigger unless absolutely 100 percent sure that their intended target is of legal size, species, gender, etc. An accurate (or even lucky) shot made, but with an error in judgment, isn’t worth the repercussions of breaking the very laws enacted to protect the state’s fish and game.

Why the health warnings for brown trout? Question : In the fishing regulations there are safe eating guidelines for Donner Lake. I am trying to figure out why there are different recommendations for brown trout compared to rainbow trout. The guidelines suggest people eat only one serving of browns vs.

seven servings of rainbows. Why? (Tim Worley) Answer: The recommendations in our regulation booklet are from the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). The recommendations are probably from actual studies done by OEHHA of mercury levels in edible flesh from these two species from Donner Lake.

According to Dr. William Cox, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Program Manager of Fish Production and Distribution, we do not plant brown trout in Donner and so those fish are essentially wild and older in the system. Therefore, they have been on natural diets and accumulating mercury from the naturally occurring insects and aquatic life that comprises their food chain.

CDFW does plant rainbow trout in Donner as part of what we call a “put-and- take” fishery. For most of their lives those fish are not eating natural feeds, and are generally not piscivorous like the brown trout, so they accumulate much less mercury. Humans, especially children and women of child bearing ages, need to limit their intake of mercury because it can have serious health effects, including death.

What month do deer antlers grow the most?

The most dramatic growth of antlers takes place during July. Much of the framework, the main beams of a buck’s rack, take shape during June. But those antlers fill out to full length and the branched points reach out in growth that occurs this month.

What should I look for when shed hunting?

Check thermal bedding (evergreens and conifers) and solar bedding cover (south- and east-facing slopes). Also check areas that received minimal hunting pressure during the late season. Other areas to focus on include CRP fields, fingers of cover, around old farm structures and machinery, etc.